• The proposed St. Johns River Ferry Commission legislation filed by City Council member Bill Gulliford has another supporter. The Jacksonville Waterways Commission unanimously approved the measure during its Wednesday meeting. State Rep. Lake Ray, who sits on the commission, said the state is looking for funding assistance from the Florida Department of Transportation. “We believe that we will be able to come up with some funding, but not full funding,” Ray said. The legislation would create a standing commission to operate, maintain, fund and oversee the service.
• In other action from the waterways commission, it approved a resolution supporting inshore artificial reefs within the St. Johns River if they do not interfere with recreation or commercial activities.
• The JAX Chamber plans a “Doing Business with The Netherlands” seminar Tuesday at its Independent Drive headquarters, featuring Consul General of the Netherlands Simone Filippini and Allison Turner, director of the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency. The guest speaker will be Thomas van der Vliet, a Dutch international tax attorney from the Greenburg Traurig firm. The event is scheduled from 8:30-11 a.m. Seating is limited, so respond to Chandra Echols at [email protected] or 366-6690 by today.
• Renee Finley, director of Mayor Alvin Brown’s Office of Public-Private Partnerships and vice president of corporate and market strategy for Florida Blue, is scheduled as the guest speaker to the NAIOP Northeast Florida commercial real estate group May 9. The lunch event is 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Florida Blue’s conference room at 4800 Deerwood Campus Parkway. For information, visit www.naiopnefl.com.